AUGUSTA, Maine — The effort to put Maine’s power infrastructure under the control of an elected board got a boost from leading national progressive on Thursday.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, is endorsing the Pine Tree Power campaign behind the November referendum asking voters to buy out Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power’s infrastructure and have a five-person board run the system.
Pine Tree Power announced the two-time Democratic presidential candidate’s endorsement in a Thursday morning news release. It is a rare foray by a national figure into referendum politics, although Sanders also backed Portland’s failed minimum wage referendum in 2022.
“This year, Mainers are facing price-gouging and immoral disconnection notices from multinational utility companies,” said Sanders, who was the Democratic presidential runner-up in both 2016 and 2020. “Power belongs in the hands of the people, not greedy corporations.”
Pine Tree Power supporters have argued a locally owned company could be more responsive to customers, providing better service and lower costs as Mainers have seen electric rate hikes. Opponents, led by the incumbent utilities, say there are major uncertainties, including around how much the buyout would cost and how it would be run.
Supply rates for CMP and Versant, Maine’s largest electric utilities, rose significantly in large part due to increasing global energy prices in July. Hikes driven by Maine’s solar subsidies alone raised CMP rates $8.90 per month and the total bill about 5.8 percent, according to the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
CMP and Versant’s parent companies spent more than $17.1 million as of June 30 to oppose the Pine Tree Power referendum, one of several slated for the November ballot.
CMP is behind another question on the November ballot that would subject the billions in public borrowing needed to fund the takeover to yet another vote. That will be Question 1 on the ballot, while Pine Tree Power’s effort will be Question 3 after a Thursday lottery held by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ office.
